NPR "Tell Me More" - Interview with Washington DC Mayor Vincent Gray on "Emancipation Day" in Washington DC
GRAY: Well, again, I think when you cannot make decisions for yourself, fully, in what purports to be a democracy, then you are, to some extent, enslaved. I think one of the most basic rights that people have in this nation, is the ability to decide what they do with their own resources - money.
This is an instance, for example, where even though we raise money, the money comes out of our pocket. We have people who say, I recognize that's your money, but you have to ask me - can you spend it? And you have to ask me what you can spend it on.
When you have people who make decisions for the people of the District of Columbia, to me, that is a form of slavery. Why, for example, you know, whether one is pro-choice or pro-life, why should we have imposed upon us, decisions, by others, as to how we spend our money, irrespective of whether one is pro-choice or pro-life? Those decisions are to be made by the people in this city who raised those dollars in the first place.
ANALYSIS
This type of rhetoric while accepted as "tasty chum" by some Black people - is, in truth, the means by which incompetent governing machines are allowed to remain in power, regardless of the condition of the "Mission Accomplished Zone".
According to the 2010 Census, the population of Washington, D.C., was 50.7% Black or African American, 38.5% White, 3.5% Asian, and 0.3% Native American. Individuals from other races made up 4.1% of the District's population while individuals from two or more races made up 2.9%.[83] In addition, Hispanics of any race made up 9.1% of the District's population
Instead of putting up a 3rd party voice in her challenge ("Some people would say that this was over the top....") Michelle Martin would have proved herself to be more transparent and introspective by asking if DC Mayor Gray including the WHITE FOLKS who are DC residents in on his "Slavery headcount".
When former Fox News operative Glenn Beck wondered aloud if "Obama is a racist against White people" this triggered fraudulent operative groups like "Color Of Change" to go after his advertisers in an effort to get him off of the air. When it comes to "over the top" claims made by Favorable Progressives - there is no such action or offense - because they understand that such language is a necessary tool to achieve their ultimate ends.
I have stated several times before - the most effective Black Progressive-Fundamentalist leaders are those with the insight and timing to stand before a crowd of constituents who are frustrated over the conditions of the "Mission Accomplished Zone" and to levitate off of the stage, leading the frustrated people in a STRUGGLE against an enemy at a higher rung of government. This is typically the "Republican state officials" that either are passing policies that are perceived as counter to the interests of the city OR failing to provide the fiscal resources that the local people believe they are due.
When the Civil Rights Pharisees traveled to Detroit in the wake of its fiscal collapse - they did not stand in front of the people with a spirit of contrition and tell them that they were wrong for attesting to the competency of the local machine to lead the city which now stands on the brink. They told the masses that 'THEIR BLACK POLITICIANS are under attack and WE need to stand together to fight this threat".
Please understand that the power of the "Short term gravitational pull for 'Congregational Unity' comes at the cost of GOOD GOVERNANCE in the long run. So much of this scheme is meant to cover the intrinsic "inorganic" nature of the ideology upon which they cleave to. Simply put - Progressivism is a protest meme. It fails when it is left all alone, forced to develop its people through the institutions that it controls. It must always retain an indictment against an external entity to retain this congregational unity.
The best way for me to rebut the preposterous claims made by DC Mayor Gray is to properly enumerate and then prioritize the PRIORITIES of the people within the District.
Mayor Gray makes the case that DC residents demand representation in the US House and Senate. After all they have more residents than some full fledged states do.
What he and others don't want to talk about is the condition of the Black people within DC - once we get past the politicking over government structure and taxation.
Just as I make the case that those of claim to seek to protect the rights of Black people by "protecting the right to vote" often err because they key in on the METHODOLOGY through which the Black community is to achieve our development, the same is the case with Mayor Gray. While we are asked to "Struggle" to defend against "racist photo ID laws", few among this crowd are inclined to go into the streets of the "Mission Accomplished Zones" where the Black vote goes unmolested.
Beyond "placing leadership of our own choosing into power" - the presence of insider trading prevents a more thorough inspection of the RESULTS that these political machines deliver for the Black Community. We are NOT going to see the NAACP go back into Detroit, Newark or Chicago and confront their impaneled friends on how the Black community's INVESTMENTS of their "Equal Black Ballots" have not produced enough returns to justify future deposits. Their goal is to scale the power of the progressive ideology.
As such a person carrying the consciousness that says that the "Mission Accomplished City" failed because of the benign neglect from the larger (capitalistic) society had imposed "poverty" and "lack of opportunity". This person is too intellectually dishonest to accept that the LEADERSHIP that they hoisted into power was supposed to address these points. Not only did these candidates tell the community this - the person telling of how the greater society has failed the city - was marketing the promise of a successful election.
Ironically the worst reference for this type of person - and I believe that Mayor Gray is included in this group - is the conditions of the Black community within their own ranks. In as much as they wish to keep us focused on the action within "The Malcolm X Political Football Game" - even this is a distraction from the fundamental question: HAS THERE BEEN SUFFICIENT ORGANIC COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY AFTER IT INVESTED ITS "EQUAL BLACK BALLOTS" AND ITS "BLACK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CONSCIOUSNESS" INTO THE CHANNEL THAT WAS PRESCRIBED BY THE BLACK RACIAL SERVICES MACHINE?
Washington DC's Assault On The Development Interests Of The Black Community
I could go off right now and get a list entitled "Public Educational System Performance By State" and point out that the Washington DC school district's academic attainment levels are down with the states that are more likely to be attacked on MSNBC - (MS, AL, SC).
I could go off and get a list of impoverished zip codes and inspect to see if "The 8th Ward" and "Anicostia" are on there.
I could find some stats on homicide and violence and see Washington DC rankings.
None of this would force Mayor Gray to retract his references to "The slave conditions" of the modern day resident of Washington DC - as he attempts to execute a "Black Conscious Attention Filibuster" away from the points that his administration and many before should be held accountable for.
But I am not.
I have adopted a disposition which says: "It Doesn't Matter Because It Doesn't Matter".
Until the Black residents of DC and other areas are TIRED of consuming the 'Bread and Circuses" thrown out by the embedded confidence men - who they need to be holding accountable, despite their distractions - it ultimately doesn't matter.
As long as Black people allow "slave references" that are not so to be used to advance a modern, marginal political issue - What does it matter?
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